Local politics trump national

The world watched as the excitement and hype of the 2008 presidential campaigns culminated in national elections last fall. America's young people eagerly took part in the action, as Facebook groups garnered support for one or the other candidate and political clubs and organizations on campus facilitated new voter registrations and change of address forms for over 1,200 students.

Many of us gradually lost interest in happenings on the political scene when the front pages of the newspapers and the lead stories on the nightly news turned to topics of less immediacy and interest.

Another round of political campaigns began early this semester, with a much smaller spotlight and scant student enthusiasm.

Various Chattanoogans vied for positions on the City Council in the local elections which took place March 3.

Two of the candidates for district eight, which includes our campus and the Fortwood residential area, went head to head a second time in a runoff Tuesday, in which newcomer Andraé McGary claimed the district seat from incumbent Leamon Pierce with 72 percent of the vote.

This may seem like old news to those who have not been following the issues involved in this local race, but in reality, the action is only beginning.

Our City Council has the ability to facilitate student projects and address the concerns of Chattanooga's youth, but it also has the power to make our lives difficult and stifle our ideas.

According to McGary's campaign Web site, www.votemcgary.com, his priority issues include "greening" Chattanooga, encouraging recycling programs and working equally with campus Greek organizations and community associations.

In addition, he wrote he would foster development on Martin Luther King Boulevard and other areas near the university.

Though events in local politics are far less glamorous than President Obama's efforts in the White House, they have a greater and more immediate effect on us than the decisions coming out of Washington have on our day-to-day lives.

City Council has a history of trying to ban students from living in Fortwood, which would remove Greek houses as well as individual student renters from the neighborhood, according to informational materials distributed by the Political Science Club before local elections in March.

Further, approval for a fraternity row took years due to the council's resistance.

Use of university land is also regulated in part by council decisions and building permits.

Land which could facilitate parking will not always translate into actual parking lots if the council is unhappy with the location of the potential parking lot for aesthetic reasons.

Even if these issues are of little importance to you individually, other council-led decisions are sure to hit closer to home.

Changing things we dislike on a national or global scale may be overwhelming, but changing city politics is an entirely reasonable goal for UTC students. Given the poor voter turnout every year for Chattanooga elections, this university's student population could have considerable weight in council decisions.

Naturally, local representatives will push our agendas to the side as long as we let them.

Only when we as students make ourselves visible within district eight's constituency will we see our interests protected and furthered by local policymakers.

Then perhaps we will see a bustling Martin Luther King Boulevard, complete with late-night restaurants and inviting coffee shops, or whatever it is we envision for the campus area.

Local politics may be dull at times, but the potential for change should excite us.

We will see the effects of council decisions either way, and with that in mind, we should voice our ideas before unwanted change materializes.